TNAG-1275-FCO40-1625-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 172

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T/L HONGAID

T/L UKMIS GENEVA

T/L HANOI

INDEX

НКИ

2432

14 FEB 1983

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काकार

GPS 200

RESTRICTED

TELELETTER

FROM:

FILE REFERENCE:

C.E. LEEKS, SECURITY BRANCH, HONG KONG

SCR 3/4821/80 DATED 10 FEBRUARY 1983

FOLLOWING FOR: C.M.J. SEGAR ESQ, SEAD, FCO

COPIED TO: R.J.F HOARE ESQ, HKGD, FCO

❤

MRS. HELEN YU, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE, LONDON

UKMIS GENEVA

HANOI

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: ODP

ORDERLY DEPARTURE PROGRAMME

1. SINCE NOVEMBER 1982 WE HAVE BEEN ASKING NEW ARRIVALS IF THEY KNOW ABOUT OR HAVE EVER APPLIED FOR ODP IN VIETNAM. THE RESULTS ARE DEPRESSING BUT INTERESTING:

(A) OUT OF 13 BOATS WITH 538 VRS ABOARD, 303 CLAIMED TO HAVE ANY

''OVERSEAS CONNECTIONS'',

(B) OF THESE 303, 76 KNEW ABOUT ODP,

(C) OF THESE 76, 5 HAD APPLIED FOR ODP, AND

(D) OF THESE 5, NONE HAD AWAITED THE RESULT.

2. REASONS GIVEN FOR NOT APPLYING WERE:

(A) PROCEDURE TOO COMPLICATED:

(B) NEED ''CLEAN'' POLITICAL AND PERSONAL RECORD:

(C) NEED TO BE OUTSIDE CONSCRIPTION AGE:

(D) GENERAL BELIEF THAT IT IS EASIER TO DEPART ILLEGALLY:

(E) BELIEF THAT ONLY CHINESE MAY APPLY:

(F) AWAIT RESULT FOR 2 OR 3 YEARS: AND

(G) APPLICANT MUST LIST ALL FAMILY PROPERTY AND PROMISE TO

DONATE ALL TO GOVERNMENT IF APPROVED.

3. AS A FOOTNOTE, ONLY ONE OF THESE 13 BOATS CAME FROM SOUTH VIETNAM - OUR ONLY RECENT ''SHIP CASE, THE CHEVALIER VALBELLE. 3 OF THE 5 ODP APPLICANTS WERE ON THIS SHIP.

4. WHATEVER ELSE WE CONCLUDE, ODP DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE MADE AND

IMPACT ON OUR VR PROBLEMS, EXCEPT BY ITS ABSENCE.

NNNN

SIGNED: C.E. LEEKS